Container vending machine



20, 1956 J. E. OPGENORTH ET AL CONTAINER VENDING MACHINE 3 SheetsSheet 1Filed Nov. 24, 1952 mvzmons John E Opgenorliz J-[azallllianson BY MLATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1956 J QPGENORTH ET AL 2,771,215.

CONTAINER VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 24, 1952 3 Sheets-Shee-w 2INVENTORS John E. Opgenorl/z Hazel Mffianson BY WL 7101441.,

ATTORNEYS N 1956 J. E. OPGENCFDRTH ET AL CONTAINER VENDING MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 24, 1952 INVENTORS John' E. Opgenoz-Z/z .hazelMfi'anson BY 5 2 1 ATTORNEYS CONTAINER VENDING MACIME John E. Opgenorthand Hazel M. Hanson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 24, 1952, Serial No. 322,282

3 Claims. (Cl. 221-251) The present invention is directed to, and it isa major object to provide, a novel coin controlled but manually actuatedmachine for dispensing cylindrical containers one at a time; theapparatus as shown and described herein being especially designed fordispensing bottles, such as'bottled beverage, but being usefulwithoutsubstantial reconstructionto dispense cans containing beverages or othergoods.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a containervending machine which embodies a novel feeding mechanism to deliver thebottles one at a time from a magazine assembly within the machine to areceiving trough open exteriorly thereof.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a containervending machine which includes side by side, longitudinal banks ofvertical, bottle receiving magazines; the feeding mechanism beingoperative to deliver the bottles alternately from said banks. With thisarrangement the machine has a relatively large capacity, yet with themagazine assemblies in compact relationship so that the machine isnot-unduly large.

A separate object of the invention is to provide a container vendingmachine in which each magazine assembly embodies novel mechanism toprevent the delivery of the bottles from the bottom of each magazineuntil-the magazine immediately ahead has been emptied.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a container vendingmachine which embodies .a novel coin connected actuating mechanismbetween an exteriorly accessible hand lever, and the rotary structurewhich dispenses the bottles from the magazine assemblies into the bottlereceiving trough.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a containervending machine which is relatively simple and easy toload, and amachine for the purpose which functions smoothly without tendency tojambor mis-function.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a container vendingmachine which is designed for ready and economical manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical andreliable container vending machine, and one which will beexceedingly'efiective for the purpose for'whichit is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig: 1 is a perspective-view of the improved container vending machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the machine, withthe near door removed.

Fig. 3 is asimilar view, but with both the door and near side wallremoved; the near rotary feeders being shown as initially engaging theadjacent bottle.

Fig. 4 is'a similar view, but only of the feeding mechanism, and showsthe'near'rotary feeder after turning 90" in pick-up relation to. saidadjacent bottle.

S ates Patent Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section online 5'5 of Fig.4, showing the position of the-next bottle' on the supporting rails.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the machine taken on line 6-6 of Fig.3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on line 77 of Fig;2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional plan taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation, with the housing partly brokenaway, of the coin-connected actuating mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on line 1010 ofFig. 9.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the improved-container vend ing machine comprises anupstanding, box-like cabinet, indicated generally at 1, which cabinetincludes-at the front and bottoma forwardly projecting. cabinetextension, indicated generally at 2.

The cabinet 1 includes a front wall 3 which terminates at its lower edgein substantially theplane of the top 4 of the cabinet extension 2; thelatter including a front wall 5 which terminates at its lower edge clearof the bottom of the cabinet whereby to permit of the escape, in themanner as will hereinafter appear, of bottles into an upwardly openingbottle receivingtrough 6 whichprojects ahead of said front wall belowthe lower edge of the latter.

Additionally, the cabinet 1 includes sidewalls 7 which extend the fulldistance from back to front of themachine, includingthe trough 6; suchsidewalls being substantially the height of the cabinet extension 2,except alongside the cabinet 1' where said side walls increase in heightby reason of the upper edge inclining gently. upwardly to the rear.

The cabinet 1 is fitted on both sides, with full doors 8 hinged at therear edge, as at 9, for opening from a normally closed and suitablylocked position; the doors 8 above the upper edge of the correspondingportions of the side walls 7 being depressed or recessed, as'at 10; tomaintain the bottles in themagazine assemblies hereinafter described.Below the recesses 10 the doors 8 clear the sidewalls 7 topermit of themounting on' the latter of certain working parts, hereinafter described.

The machine, on opposite sides of. a centralvertical. partition 11,embodies a right hand dispensing section 12, and a left hand dispensingsection 13. I

As these dispensing sections 12 and.13 are identicalin construction,except that the dispensing mechanism for one section works inalternation tothe dispensing mechanism ofthe other section, adescription ofone such:

section will suffice for both.

Each dispensing section (12andf13) embodieswithin the cabinet extension2a rotary, bottle dispensing; mechanism, indicated generally at14, andrearwardly-- within. the cabinet 1a cooperating magazine assembly,indicated generally at 15; eachsuch rotary dispensing mechanism beingoperative to pick up bottles one at a time from the relatedmagazineassembly 15, and todeliver such bottle into the bottle: receiving trough6; thelatter including a front wall 16.

Each magazine assembly 15 comprises a longitudinal bank of vertical,bottle receiving magazines 17; there.

being four such magazines in each bank. Each magazine 17 is defined attheinner side by a vertical channel 18,

and. at the outer side by spaced vertical posts 19; a.

vertical stack. of. bottles 20' being. initiallyv disposed ineachmagazine 17, with-the neckL end of. the bottles'irr the channels18,and-the cylindrical body'of thebottles' between the relatedposts 19i- Inorder that the magazines 17 may be varied in their effective horizontaldepth, to accommodate different length bottles, each channel 18 isformed in the bottom thereof with a removably mounted, vertical fillerstrip 21.

At the bottom thereof the magazines 17 are inclined upwardly andrearwardly in spaced parallel relation to a bottle chute 22 whichextends therebelow from the back of the cabinet 1 at a forward anddownward incline to a termination at the bottom of said cabinet withinthe cabinet extension 2. As is evident, the magazines 17 deliver -thebottles 20 downwardly onto the chute 22, whence such bottles rollforwardly for dispensing by the related rotary feeder, hereinafterdescribed.

The bottle chute 22 comprises an outer rail 23 se cured to the side wall7, a central rail 24, and an inner rail 25 secured to the partition 11;the inner rail 25 includingat its inner edgean upstanding, longitudinalflange 26. The bottles ride the rails in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

It is desired that the bottles b fed from the magazines 17 from thefront rearwardly; i. e., each magazine 17 to be emptied before the nextrearward magazine begins to feed bottles. This is accomplished asfollows:

A pair of transversely spaced triangular dogs 26 upstand from the chute22, between the rails thereof, intermediate the magazines 17; each suchpair of dogs being carried on a cross shaft 27 journaled in connectionwith the chute 22 and extending through the side wall 7. The

pairs of triangularly shaped dogs 26 are normally but releasablymaintained in an upstanding position, whereby to prevent the bottles 20from the next rearmost magazine 17 from feeding down the chute, by thefollowing arrangemen-t:

Outside the side wall 7 each cross shaft 27 is fitted with a normallyupstanding, radial holding arm 28; each such arm having a lateral pin 29thereon at its outer end, with such pin initially engaging against asemicircular cam 30. Each cam 30 is fixed on the outer end of anotherand corresponding cross shaft 31 which extends transversely andhorizontally through the magazine assembly between the side wall 7 andthe partition 11.

Each cross shaft 31 is fitted, within the'corresponding magazine 17,with a radial finger 32 which initially upstands rearwardly of the stackof bottles in such magazine; there being a torque spring 33 coupled toeach cross shaft 31 in a manner tending to rotate it in a direction toswing the related finger 32 downwardly to a stop position closing thebottom of the corresponding magazine 17. It will be recognized that aslong as bottles remain in each magazine 17, the corresponding crossshaft 31 cannot rotate, nor can the finger 32 swing downward to amagazine closing position. The semi-circular cams 30 engage the pins 29and normally maintain the radial holding arms 28 against forward anddownward swinging, so that the corresponding pairs of dogs 26 upstandand block th chute '22 against escape of bottles from the rearwardmagazine 17.

However, when each magazine 17 empties, the corresponding finger 32swings downwardly to a magazine closing position, and the'related crossshaft 31 and its cam 30 rotate a part-turn; the engaged pin 29 escapingthe cam just prior to completion of such part-turn. This results in thecorresponding radial holding arm 28 swinging forwardly so that thecorresponding pair of dogs 26 swing forwardly and downwardly to aclearance position, whence the bottles from the next magazine may feeddown said chute.

Stops 34 and 35 limit the up-throw and down-throw of the radialholding-arms 28. After the bottle chute 22 empties, the dogs 26 returnautomatically to their normal upstanding positions; this by reason of acounterweight 26a formed in connection with such dog.

In order to hold the fingers 32 in an upright position after manualsetting of the radial holding arms 28 in engagement with the cams 30,but before loading of any bottles into the magazines 17, the followingis provided:

The magazines 17 are exposed from the outside when the adjacent door 8is open, and the posts 19 have holes 36 therethrough for the insertionof a stop pin 37 which lies in front of each finger 32 after it has beenraised, against the torque of the corresponding spring 33, to anupstanding position. Thus, the stop pins 37 act to hold the fingers 32.upright, while the operator loads the magazines 17 with bottles.

The stop pins 37 are formed with double heads 38 which prevent closureof the door 8 until the stop'pins are removed; this being a safetyfeature to assure that the machine cannot be left with said stop pins ina locking position, and which would prevent proper functioning of saidmachine.

When the stop pins 37 are withdrawn from the holes 36 they are replacedin other out-of-the-way holes 39 having relatively deep sockets 40 inwhich the double heads 38 seat so that the door 8 may close. 2

With the foregoing magazine assembly it is assuredthat the magazines 17deliver progressively their full load,

onto the bottle chute 22, to the end that bottles are.

continuously available on said chute until the entire magazine assemblyis empty.

The bottles, fed in a row as above onto the chute 22,

are dispensed one at a time from said chute by a m tary, bottledispensing mechanism 14 disposed at the end of the chute, and which isconstructed as follows:

A cross shaft 41 is journaled in the cabinet extension I 2 and extendsfrom side to side thereof, thus having a portion adjacent and above thelower end of each bottle chute 22.

A pair of elongated, S-shaped rotary feeders 42 are fixed parallel toeach other on the cross shaft 41 in alinement with each chute 22; thedisposition of such feeders 42 being such that they lie in the plane ofthe cylindrical body portion of the bottles 20 on each chute.

Starting with the rotary feeders 42 in a position with one end thereofdepending as in Fig. 3, a quarter-turn of the cross shaft 41 results inthe lowermost bottle of the row on the chute 22 being raised to aposition as in Fig. 4, whence such raised bottle rolls frowardly down atransverse shoulder 43 fixed in the cabinet extension 2 at the lower endof said chute 22. After the bottle rolls down the transverse shoulder43, and which is rounded on its top face, as shown, the bottle continuesforwardly, passes under the lower edge of the front wall 5, and depositsin the trough 6; the shoulder 43 and trough 6 being rubber-padded, as at44, to absorb the impact of the bottle during its dispensing travel.Similarly, the

rails 23 and 24 are rubber-faced, as at 45, to protect.

the bottles and prevent scufling of the cylindrical body portionsthereof.

In order to permit the rotary feeders 42 to work in proper relation tothe transverse shoulder 43, the latter is slotted or cut away, as at 46,to permit the rotary feeders 42 to swing through such cut-away part.

Upon the lowermost bottle ofv the row on the chute 22 being swungupwardly from its starting position, as in Fig. 3, to its dispensingposition, as in Fig. 4, such bottle.

in the absence of preventative meanswould tend to scuff against the nextfollowing bottle, and which would be undesirable because of unsightlyabrading, which would result. This is prevented by the followingarrangethe foremost bottle. Consequently, when such foremost bottle isswung upwardly by the rotary feeders 42, such adjacent bottles are notin engagement and abrading does.

not result. As soon as such foremost bottle has been lifted by arms 42until the then upper edges of said arms assume a downward slope in thedirection of the trough 6, the bottle immediately rolls off the arms.This takes place at a faster rate than the rotation of the feeders 42,so that the latter hold back the foremost bottles on the chute 22 afterthe spring arms 47 have been disengaged by the first riow lifted bottlerolling away from said arms. These arms, urged by the spring actingthereon, immediately snap down so that the tips 49 engage between theadjacent foremostbottles on the chute 22, as indicated in Fig. 4. Theforemost bottle on the. chute is therefore freed to roll ahead slightlyfrom the. bottle immediately behind, and which is held by the arm-tips49, as the. feeders rotate to the position necessary to engage saidforemost bottle for lifting and dispensing. The arms 47, feeders 42.and.v the bottles are thus returned to the relative positions shown inFig. 3.

A brake unit 50 cooperates with theshaft 41 at one end in order toprevent said shaft from turning other than in response to thecoin-connected actuating mechanism, indicated generally at 51, which isconnected to said shaft at the end opposite the brake unit 50. The brakeunit 50 is on one side of the cabinet extension 2, being enclosed withina housing 52, while the coin-connected actuating mechanism 51 is on theother side of the cabinet extension 2, being enclosed in the main inanother housing 53.

The coin-connected actuating mechanism 51 comprises a lever actuateddisc 54 turnable on the cross shaft 41, within the housing 53; such discbeing fitted with a hand lever 55 which extends out of the housing 53through an arcuate slot 56 which limits travel of said hand lever 55 toan extent that it may workthrough the hereinafter described mechanismthecross shaft 41 only through a quarter-turn.

A coin receiving wheel 57 is fixed on the cross shaft 41 alongside thedisc 54; such wheel being formed at points 90 apart with sets of coinreceiving pockets; each set including a radial, relatively deep pocket58, andin axially spaced relation'a radial, relatively shallow pocket59. For ten-cent operation, for example, two nickels 60 deposited in theuppermost one of the pockets 58 result in the top of the outermostnickel projecting above the periphery of the wheel 57. The same is truewhen a ten-cent piece is deposited in the uppermost pocket 59; i. e., atop portion of the ten-cent piece projects above the wheel 57. Each suchprojecting portion of the coins provides a peripheral dog against whicha laterally extending pin 61 on disc 54 engages as the hand lever 55 ispulled forwardly a quarter-turn, thus advancing the coin-receiving wheel57 a quarter-turn, whereby to actuate the cross shaft 41 and the rotaryfeeders 42 thereon to effect a bottle dispensing operation.

A pull-back spring 62 returns the disc 54 and hand lever 55 to startingposition after each bottle dispensing operation. The coin-receivingwheel 57 advances a quarter-turn with each bottle dispensing operation,so that a set of the pockets 58 are always uppermost; the coins fromsuch of these pockets which are lowermost escaping the wheel and fallinginto a coin catch box 63.

The coins are fed to the coin-receiving wheel 57 by a conventional coinfeeder 64 mounted in the housing 53 above said wheels; such feederincluding side by side coin chutes 65, one chute delivering to theuppermost pocket 58, while the other chute delivers to the uppermostpocket 59; segregation of the coins being accomplished automatically inthe coin feeder 64. Such coin feeder includes a coin entry slot 66 opento the top of the housing 53.

As is conventional, the coin feeder 64 also embodies slug rejectingmeans operated by a pull link 67 worked by a. lever 68 pivoted at itsends, as at 69. The lever 69 is. actuated to pull the. link 67 andoperate the slug rejecting means each time that the hand lever 55 ispulled 12 and 13. This is for the reason that the rotary feeders 42which correspond to the dispensinglsection 12 are offset relative to therotary feeders 42 which correspond.

to the dispensing section 13.

The container vending machine not only functions smoothly andeffectively for the dispensing ofcontainers; under the control of thecoin-connected actuatingrmech anism 51, but the machine has substantialcapacity, which,

is desirable to avoid the need of too frequent servicing.

Additionally, the machine assures against operation. unless the propercoin (or coins) is deposited in the. coin-connected actuating mechanism51; this for the reason that the coins provide the actual physicalconnec-' tion between certain of the working parts, as described.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects ofthe invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A dispensing machine, for cylindrical containers, comprising, with acabinet, an inclined chute for a longitudinal row of transverselydisposed containers, a magazine assembly above the chute rearwardly ofthe lower end of the latter adapted to feed containers into said row, acontainer receiving trough in front of said lower end of the chute, saidtrough opening exteriorly of the cabinet, 'a controlled cross shaftabove the lower end of the chute, an S-shaped rotary feeder on the shaftadapted, upon turning of the latter in a predetermined direction, toengage, lift, and discharge forwardly over the shaft the lowermostcontainer of the row, and means spacing the lowermost container of therow from the next container thereof; said container spacing meanscomprising a longitudinal, downwardly urged but upwardly yieldable swingarm extending above and from ahead of the lowermost container toadjacent the rear thereof, and a down-turned tip on the rear of saidswing arm normally engaging said adjacent container from the front,spacing the same from said lowermost container; the swing arm beingswung upward and then released downward, upon dispensing of saidlowermost container, whereby to permit forward travel of the row andmovement of said adjacent container to the lowermost position on thechute; the feeder including diametrally opposed arms each arranged toengage and hold back said adjacent container when one arm is liftingsaid lowermost container until after the swing arm has been released bythe container being dispensed.

2. In a dispensing machine, for cylindrical containers, which includes,Within a cabinet, a chute for a row of containers, an upstandingmagazine assembly above the chute adapted to feed containers into saidrow, said magazine assembly embodying a longitudinal bank of separatemagazines adapted to be loaded from one side of the cabinet, said sideincluding a door, a pivoted closure finger in each magazine tending toswing from an upstanding position alongside containers therein to alowered position closing the lower end of the magazine when empty,removable pins operable when the door is open arranged to engage andprevent the fingers from swinging between said upstanding and loweredpositions whereby to facilitate loading of containers into the magazinesfrom said one side of the cabinet, and means be tween the pins and thedoor operative to prevent closure of the door unless said pins are firstremoved.

3. In a dispenser for bottles, an inclined chute on which a longitudinalrow of bottles is disposed in transversely extending and contactingrelation, a receiving trough for a single bottle mounted in front of thechute at its lower end, a rotary feeder at the lower end of the chute toengage the lowest bottle on the row and lift such bottle from the chuteand discharge the same into the trough upon rotation of the feeder, andreleasable means mounted in the dispenser to hold the bottle next to thelowest one from engagement with the latter; said means comprising aswing arm pivoted above and in front of the feeder and extending thenceover said lowest bottle in position to be engaged thereby as such bottleis lifted by the feeder, and 21 depending tip on the rear end of the armnormally projecting between said bottles and engaging the forward faceof said next to the lowest bottle;

the feeder including diametrally opposed arms each arranged to engageand lift said lowest bottle and to then hold back said next bottle untilafter the swing arm has been released by the bottle being dispensedReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS471,053 Henry Mar. 15, 1892 782,691 Payne Feb. 14, 1905 957,720 StarrMay 10, 1910 1,004,427 Hillyer Sept. 26, 1911 1,200,724 Grover Oct. 10,1916 1,351,589 Vons Aug. 31, 1920 1,841,926 Zuehl' Jan. 19, 19322,358,563 Donaldson Sept. 19, 1944 2,462,394 Heiman Feb. 22, 19492,549,081 Hall Apr. 17, 1951 2,549,082 Hall Apr. 17, 1951 2,569,988 GrauOct. 2, 1951 2,626,849 James Ian. 27; 1953 2,682,440 Rogers June 29,1954 M. L I a

